Grounding clips are known generally and used widely, for example to fasten electrical conductors or wires to conductive appliance panels while providing an electrical contact therebetween. Known grounding clips comprise generally a U-shaped panel contact section, and a wire contact section disposed adjacent to a curved portion or bight of the panel contact section opposite an open end thereof. In other grounding clips, the wire contact section extends axially from the bight of the clip. It is known also to provide one or more barbs protruding from inner sides of the panel contact section to provide improved electrical contact with the panel.
Examples of known grounding clips include the grounding clip shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,959 entitled “Grounding Clip”. This grounding clip has a stamped and formed member having a U shaped section with opposed walls extending from a bight for engagement with a panel. Tines or serrations are struck inwardly from each wall to grip the panel. A wire contact section is offset from the U-shaped panel. A centrally disposed strain relief arm extends from the U-shaped section, and any force transmitted from the wire to the clip is in the form of a straight pull extending through the centrally disposed strain relief arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,310 discloses a panel-grounding contact which includes a wire-connecting section and a panel-connecting section which has a deep U-shaped channel between walls. The walls include opposed pairs of teeth which extend toward the channel bottom and which are staggered inwardly from the channel entrance. The points of the teeth are adapted to scrape away corrosion layers of a conductive panel during mounting of the grounding clip onto an edge thereof as well as to secure the contact on the panel. The wire-connecting section extends orthogonally with respect to the panel edge after mounting of the clip onto the panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,947 discloses a grounding clip having a generally U-shape spring clamp which has first and second opposing walls which extend from a curved base portion thereof. The first and second walls each having a leading edge portion opposite the curved base portion. The spring clamp is fastened to a panel with the curved base portion disposed over the panel edge, the first wall of the spring clamp adjacent one side of the panel and the second wall thereof adjacent the other side of the panel. A wire fastening member, preferably the crimping type, extends from first wall of the spring clamp between the curved base portion of the spring clamp and the leading edge portion thereof. When the spring clamp is fastened to the panel, the wire fastening member and wire fastened thereto are adjacent the corresponding side of the panel and spaced apart from the panel edge, whereby only the curved base portion of the grounding clip protrudes beyond the panel edge.
Other grounding clips are shown in Tyco Electronics Application Specification 114-13095 (2006 Mar. 7 Rev B) entitled “Grounding Clip Terminals with ‘F.’ Crimp Features”. Although all the prior art grounding clips recited above fasten electrical conductors or wires to conductive panels while providing an electrical contact therebetween, their use is limited to instances in which one or more wires are ground to one panel. In instances in which a wire is to be electrically ground to more than one panel (i.e. ballast can and ballast lid), another grounding clip must be used. It is, therefore, desired to provide a one piece ground clip which is capable of grounding the conductor(s) to more than one conductive panel.